“It draws a crowd, and leaves it behind.”

For 1988, the third-generation A70 Toyota Supra hatchback coupe had few changes of any importance. The high-mounted brake light changed from a rectangular shape to a trapezoid. Cloth seat upholstery patterns were changed from squares to lines, and the climate control and switch gear buttons went from light to medium gray.

The Supra’s standard powertrain was the 7M-GE 200 bhp 3.0 liter/180 ci inline six with fuel injection paired with a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed electronically controlled automatic was optional—and expensive. 0-60 times with the five-speed were a little under eight seconds in a car that weighed about 3,500 pounds—a weight that was notably heavy for a sports car in those days. Fuel economy with both transmissions was 18 city/23 highway by the day’s standards (16/22 by today’s measures). With an 18.5-gallon gas tank, Supra owners could expect a range of 320 to 340 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Designated as 7M-GTE, the Turbo‘s engine gained a turbocharger with an intercooler, adding 30 bhp and dropping the 0-60 time to around 6.4 seconds.

The Toyota Supra hatchback coupe’s base price was $21,740—about $60,800 in today’s dollars or almost exactly what a 2026 Supra GR 3.0 Premium goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a removable sport roof, quick-ratio power steering, 4-wheel power disk brakes, and 225/50VR16 Goodyear unidirectional tires (a size still readily available) on 16 x 7 aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, split fold-down rear seatbacks, an automatic temperature control air conditioning system, an electric rear window defogger, power windows, and power door locks were included. The standard sound system was an AM stereo/FM stereo electronic radio with a cassette player, Acoustic Flavor (a tone control equalizer), 4-enclosure speakers, and a diversity antenna.

At $23,760, the Turbo added a Sport package, which included a limited-slip differential, headlamp washers, and the Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension (TEMS) system.

Options & Production Numbers

Individual options were relatively few and included a limited slip differential ($230 for the base car), anti-lock brakes ($1,100), and a 4-way power driver’s seat ($225). The leather seat package was $990.

Toyota sold 19,596 Supras in 1988—solid numbers, but not quite at the level of the Chevrolet Corvette or the Nissan 300 ZX. Of those almost twenty thousand, about 55% were the Turbo.

The View From 2025

According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1988 Toyota Supra in #1/Concours condition is $37,700. The value for a more “normal” #3/Good condition example is $12,200. Turbos are considerably dearer, with #1/Concours being $82,300, #3/Good at $18,800. This generation of Supras maintains a presence in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. When I first wrote this post in April 2025, there was a Dark Blue Pearl 1988 Supra with Blue leather seats and 33,000 miles for sale in Hemmings, asking $29,900.

Make mine Gray Metallic, please.

I’ve written about one other Supra—the 1982 hatchback coupe. Other Toyotas I’ve written about include the 1980 Corolla Tercel Liftback, the 1981 Celica Sport Coupe, the 1983 Camry sedan, the 1984 Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe, and the 1985 MR2 coupe.

Last updated August 2025.

One of my favorite high-school teachers owned an MR2—she caused somewhat of a stir when she showed up in it the first time.

“Fun is taking the all-new MR2 out to play.”

The MR2 was undoubtedly one of the most interesting cars Toyota brought to market in the 1980s (development had begun in 1976). Visually evolved from the SV-3 concept car shown at the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show, MR2 stood for “midship runabout 2-seater”.

A small sports car (about thirteen inches shorter than a 2025 Toyota GR86 hatchback coupe) with an angular wedge body, the MR2 became available for the 1985 model year, entering a market that already included the Bertone (formally Fiat) X1/9 and the Pontiac Fiero.

The MR2’s engine was the 16-valve 1.6 liter/97 ci 4A-GE fuel-injected double-overhead-cam inline four, with 112 bhp. Paired with the standard five-speed manual transmission (a four-speed automatic transmission was optional) in the 2,400-pound “Mister Two,” this engine was good for 0-60 in under 9 seconds (Car and Driver recorded 8.2 seconds) and a top speed of about 120 mph. Fuel economy was impressive: 27 city/32 highway by the day’s standards (23/29 by modern measures). With a 10.8-gallon fuel tank, an MR2 owner could expect a range of 250 to 285 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

The 1985 MR2 coupe’s base price was $10,999—about $33,700 in 2025 dollars or almost exactly what a 2025 Toyota GR86 Premium hatchback coupe costs. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included tinted glass, rack-and-pinion steering, power disc brakes with ventilated front rotors, and 185/60R14 steel-belted radial blackwall tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch alloy wheels. Inside, a 7-way adjustable driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, dual power remote side mirrors, an electric rear defogger, and an AM/FM/MPX stereo radio were included in an interior that many considered roomy for the MR2’s size.

Options, A Package, Period Reviews, & Production Numbers

Individual options available for the 1985 MR2 included a moonroof with sunshade ($300), a rear spoiler ($150), automatic air conditioning ($840), cruise control ($185), power windows and locks ($305), and an AM stereo/FM stereo radio with cassette ($365). The Power Package ($305) included power windows and power locks. It wasn’t hard to load an MR2 up to $13,400 or so—about $41,000 in today’s dollars.

MR2s got really good reviews from the likes of Motor Trend (winning “Import Car of the Year”), Road & Track, and, later, Automobile—who famously compared it to a Ferrari 308 and found the MR2 to be the winner. Toyota sold 32,314 MR2s in 1985—impressive numbers for a brand-new product line.

The View From 2025

MR2s do have club support, including a reasonably active forum. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1985 MR2 in #1/Concours condition is $34,100, with a more normal #3/Good car going for $12,000.

Though MR2 sightings are relatively rare in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, first-generation MR2s (sold up until the 1989 model year) show up fairly often on eBay Motors and on Bring a Trailer. When I updated this blog entry in April 2025, there was a Super Red 1987 with black leather seats, a five-speed manual, and 181,000 miles on Hemmings, asking $15,500.

Make mine the same Super Red as the one owned by that high school teacher, please.

Other sporty Toyotas I’ve written about include the 1981 Celica Sport Coupe, the 1982 Celica Supra hatchback coupe, the 1984 Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe, and the 1988 Supra hatchback coupe.

Last updated August 2025.